Premier puts bakeries and 900 jobs in the bread bin

Undated handout photo of Hovis Bread. The UK’s biggest food producer today said Hovis continued to make progress after capturing more than a quarter of the branded bread market last year. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Tuesday February 16, 2010. With Premier Foods supporting the product through a major advertising campaign, sales of Hovis-branded items rose 13.5% to £370 million and trading profits for the division increased 75% to £42 million. Hovis accounted for 25.8% of branded bread volumes in 2009, up from 22.1% in 2008. See PA story CITY Premier. Photo credit should read: Premier Foods/PA Wire

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Undated handout photo of Hovis Bread. The UK’s biggest food producer today said Hovis continued to make progress after capturing more than a quarter of the branded bread market last year. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Tuesday February 16, 2010. With Premier Foods supporting the product through a major advertising campaign, sales of Hovis-branded items rose 13.5% to £370 million and trading profits for the division increased 75% to £42 million. Hovis accounted for 25.8% of branded bread volumes in 2009, up from 22.1% in 2008. See PA story CITY Premier. Photo credit should read: Premier Foods/PA Wire Premier Foods/PA

Nine hundred jobs are to go in Premier Foods’ bread business as part of plans to close two bakery sites and four distribution operations.

Britain’s biggest food producer said that the changes were necessary to improve the operation of the company, which a year ago was crippled by large debts and the poor performance of its Hovis brand.

Premier will close two bakery sites in Greenford, West London, where about 200 people are employed, and Birmingham, where there are about 600 workers, in 2013. This is on top of the closure of the Eastleigh bakery announced earlier. Premier will also